Taken from Last Week’s Sermon. The sermon can be found HERE.

In a world filled with uncertainty, where can we find true security? Hebrews 6:13-20 offers us a powerful answer by revealing the unbreakable promise of God and how it serves as an anchor for our souls.

The Power of an Unbreakable Promise

When God made His promise to Abraham, He did something remarkable. Since there was no one greater to swear by, He swore by Himself. This wasn’t just any promise, it was a divine oath backed by the very character of God.

In Genesis 22, after Abraham demonstrated his willingness to sacrifice Isaac, God declared: “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky.”

Why is this significant? Because unlike human promises that can be broken, God’s promises are unbreakable for two reasons:

  1. God swore by Himself: by His own character and nature
  2. and it is impossible for God to lie.

What Makes God’s Promises Different from Human Promises?

When humans make oaths, we swear by someone greater than ourselves. When taking an oath in court, we say “so help me God” because we’re appealing to a higher authority. But God, being the highest authority, swears by Himself.

The writer of Hebrews explains that God confirmed His promise with an oath to make “the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear.” He wanted us to be absolutely certain that His promises can be trusted.

God describes Himself in Isaiah 44:6-8: “I am the first and I am the last. Apart from me there is no God… Is there any God besides me? No. There is no other rock.” This is the God who makes promises to us: the unchangeable, all-powerful Creator of the universe.

Who Can Claim This Unbreakable Promise?

The promise belongs to “we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us” (Hebrews 6:18). This describes those who have: Fled from the world and its systems and taken hold of the hope offered in Christ.

This requires a decision similar to what Abraham made, leaving his homeland to follow God’s command, and even being willing to sacrifice his son. It means forsaking our self-reliance and worldly security to trust completely in God.

What Does It Mean to “Flee” the World?

First John 2:15-17 instructs us: “Do not love the world or anything in the world… The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

Consider the story of John Lennox, a brilliant mathematician and Christian apologist. At age 19, while studying at Cambridge, he was confronted by a Nobel Prize-winning scientist who demanded he renounce his faith to have a successful scientific career. Surrounded by professors and the college chaplain, this young student was asked to publicly deny his “naive faith in God.”

Lennox’s response was remarkable: “Sir, what have you got to offer me that’s better than what I’ve already got?” Then he concluded, “I’ll take the risk. I’ll stay with Christ. Good night,” and walked out.

This is what it means to flee the world’s systems and take hold of the hope we have in Christ. It’s choosing God’s promises over worldly security and approval.

Where Is Our Hope Anchored?

Hebrews 6:19 tells us this hope serves “as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” But where is this anchor secured? Not in earthly circumstances or human institutions, but in “the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.”

This refers to the Holy of Holies in the temple: the place where God’s presence dwelled. Our hope is anchored in the very presence of God Himself.

But there’s a problem. God’s presence is so holy that it should terrify us.

How can God’s presence be a place of comfort rather than fear?

How Can We Enter God’s Presence Without Fear?

The answer is found in verse 20: “where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf.” Jesus has gone before us into God’s presence, making it safe for us to approach.

When Jesus said to the thief on the cross, “Today you will be with me in paradise,” He was promising to take him behind the curtain into God’s glorious presence. At His ascension, Jesus entered the heavenly sanctuary to represent us as our perfect high priest.

Because Jesus has gone ahead, what would otherwise be a place of judgment and fear becomes our place of comfort and hope. The inner sanctuary, God’s very presence, is now our secure anchor.

Life Application

In a world filled with conflicts: international tensions, national divisions, family struggles, and personal inner turmoil, we need an unshakable hope. These challenges threaten to undo us, to make us quit our faith journey altogether.

But like John Lennox, we can stand firm and say, “Is this all you have to offer? I’ll take Jesus,” and walk away from whatever threatens our faith.

This week, consider these questions:

  1. What worldly securities am I clinging to that I need to forsake in order to fully trust Christ?
  2. When faced with opposition or uncertainty, do I anchor my hope in God’s unbreakable promises or in changing circumstances?
  3. How can I live differently knowing that Jesus has gone before me into God’s presence?

The message of Hebrews 6:13-20 is clear: Don’t give up. Your eternity is secure because of God’s unbreakable promise and Jesus’ work on your behalf. Let go of what threatens to undo you and hold fast to Jesus, who has gone before you into God’s presence.

Taken from Last Week’s Sermon. The sermon can be found HERE.